Words and Work

A conversation with Rev. Robin Hoover, a long time advocate for migrants. His new book is called Migrants Matter.

Members of AFM 33 at a rally in front of a concert by True Concord Orchestra. Musicians at True Concord have been fighting for recognition of their union.

Ted Prezelski interviews Logan Phillips, the recently named Poet Laureate of Tucson. Phillips has a new book called Reckon.

Ted Prezelski interviews Mia Kortright, the Tucson Sentinel's Cultural Expression & Community Values Reporter

Ted Prezelski speaks with Desiree Navarro, a leader in CWA local 7000 in Tucson and a founder of the newly reconstituted Arizona chapter of CLUW, the Coalition of Labor Union Women.

Comments from members of the National Association of Letter Carriers and supporters while they demonstrated in front a station in Tucson earlier this month.

A conversation with Corinne Fisher, who was in Tucson for a Democratic Party fundraiser. She talks about comedy, podcasting and her work to get more people involved in municipal elections.

Part 2 of a conversation with Lydia Otero. Otero tells more of the story of Maria Cordova, who fought to keep her house from being taken by Tucson's urban renewal efforts.

Ted Prezelski speaks with Lydia Otero about their book, Storied Property: Maria Cordova's House. This is part 1 of the conversation.

Jason Davis talks about his career as a soccer journalist as well as labor issues in the United Soccer Leagues.

Ted Prezelski interviews Duncan Sohn Hasman, who helped a group organize teachers at BASIS. This was the first successful effort to organize at a charter school in Arizona. Sohn-Hasman describes the issues that teachers deal with there and what the union has been able to accomplish in the last two years.

A chat with a federal worker dealing with the ongoing government shutdown.

Ted Prezelski interviews Abigail Higgins. Higgins has been an international correspondent and her work has appeared on NPR and in publications like Vox, Time and the Washington Post. She recently co-founded The 51st, an online publication covering local news in the Washington metro area.

In this episode, Ted Prezelski talks to Matt Baume. Baume researches portrails of queer culture in the media for his YouTube channel. His book, Hi Honey, I'm Homo!, picks several highlights of sitcoms to show how those portrayals have evolved, as well as how our society has.

Johnathan joins Ted to talk about his newly released book, We're Coming for You and Your Rotten System: How Socialists Beat Amazon and Upended Big-City Politics. Jonathan talks about the career of Kshama Sawant, a socialist elected to the Seattle city council. Jonathan's book is a criticism of centrist politics and a blueprint for activist movements and available from OR Books.

Ted Prezelski interviews Geneva Escobedo, who has two books, Reflections of the Heart: Stories and Poems from Life and Dichos de mi Padre. She reads one of her poems and talks about writing and Chicana culture. More about her can be found at https://www.genevacreativewriting.com.

Tucson poet Lourdes Leiner reads one of her works and talks about teaching local students about poetry. Her website is at feralghoulfriend.com.

Ted Prezelski talks to poet and journalist Mari Herreras. Herreras is with a group that is starting a street newspaper in Tucson. She talks about what a street newspaper is and the challenges such publications face in the current media landscape.

Ted Prezelski interviews Erica Prather. Erica is a long time organizer both in the union space as well as for environmental and neighborhood organizations. Her new book, Kneeling at the Juniper, is a collection of poems and essays.

On May 17th, workers at Bookman's, an Arizona store chain, had a one-day ULP action. Trade counters at locations in Tucson had to be closed and the stores were kept open with management and probationary staff, while a store in Flagstaff closed entirely. Ted Prezelski talked to several striking workers as well as staff from the United Food and Commercial Workers, who represent the employees.

Ted Prezelski interviews Mike Wilson, a long time activist in Southern Arizona. His book, co-authored with José Antonio Lucero, is called What Side Are You On?: A Tohono O'odham Life Across Borders. The book is a look at his life growing up in Ajo and Tucson, his time in the military and his activism on border issues.

This episode is part 2 of a conversation with Aliyah Levin, Omar Alerciras and Rob Sax, leaders of the American Federation of Government Employees local 2391. They talk about their jobs as well as the effects of the so-called "Department of Government Efficiency" on them and their co-workers.

In this episode, Ted Prezelski talks to Aliyah Levin, Omar Alerciras and Rob Sax, leaders of the American Federation of Government Employees local 2391. They talk about their jobs as well as the effects of the so-called "Department of Government Efficiency" on them and their co-workers.

Ted Prezelski speaks with Rasean Clayton, an AFSCME member who heads up the A. Philip Randolph Institute's Arizona chapter. Rasean talks about the work of the Institute and other issues in labor.

Ted Prezelski talks to Kira Josefsson, who translates Swedish literature into English. Kira talks about how she became a translator and the challenges of the profession.

Ted Prezelski talks to Tucson-based immigration attorney Mo Goldman. Goldman's book is about his family's experience in the Holocaust and their subsequent immigration to the United States. Goldman also talks about his career and the current state of the immigration system.

Long time Tucson author and journalist Gregory McNamee talks about his book, The University of Arizona: A History in 100 Stories, as well as his time at the university.

Ted Prezelski talks to Estella Gonzalez, whose new book, Huizache Women, chronicles the journey of three Chicanas of different generations as they move across the southwest.

Ted Prezelski interviews Jonathan Rosenblum, recently elected secretary of the National Writers Union. In addition to his writing for publications like The Nation and Jacobin, he has been helping workers organize at Amazon. He talks both about his writing and issues at Amazon.

In this episode, we interview Ted Isais, a union pipefitter and President of Arizona's LCLAA chapter.

Sam Newsome, a stalwart union member and relentless voter registrar, passed away recently. In this episode, we play an interview with Mr. Newsome.

Venetia Hobson Lewis talks about her novel, Changing Woman, which takes place at the time of the Camp Grant Massacre, an attrocity committed by most of what was then the upper class of Tucson.

Ted Prezelski talks to Matthew Capalby, a consultant who has worked on labor and other civil rights issues in Arizona. He recently completed a stint working for the carpenters union. He talks about the union as well as the recent prevailing wage laws that were passed in Phoenix and Tucson.

Ted Prezelski interviews Larry Goldbetter, President of the National Writers Union. Larry talks about the union and the challenges faced by freelancers in this economy.

Ted Prezelski talks to author Aneta Hebrová, author of Essence of Tucson.

Ted Prezelski interviews attorney and author McCracken Poston. His book Zenith Man is about the case of Alvin Ridley, who was accused of murdering his wife.

On this episode, we feature an interview with a member of the United Campus Workers (CWA 7065) as well as audio from their rally they held earlier this week.

Ted Prezelski interviews Paul Hanley. Hanley was a member of several Manchester area bands, most notably the Fall for five years. He's written three books about the rock scene in Manchester, most recently Sixteen Again, How Pete Shelley & Buzzcocks Changed Manchester Music (And Me).

A continuation of the discussion with National Writers Union member Alexis Gunderson, who worked on the union's response to artificial intelligence. The NWU's statement can be found at the link below: https://nwu.org/issues-we-care-about/generative-ai/

In this episode, Ted talks to Alexis Gunderson, who was involved in the National Writers Union response to artificial intelligence or AI. In this episode, she talks about her work as a TV critic as well as the issues around AI. The NWU's statement can be found at this link: https://nwu.org/issues-we-care-about/generative-ai/

Part 2 of a discussion with WGA West member J. P. Riley about the recent writers' strike in Hollywood. In addition to being a writer, Riley has also worked on the production crew on Stumptown and Home Economics.

Tucson author Lydia Otero talks about her memoir, L.A. Interchanges. In the book, she discusses being queer, latinx and moving to Los Angeles. In the interview, she also discusses her time with IBEW Local 11.

The first half of my discussion with J. P. Riley, who has written and produced the television shows Lucky, Stumptown and Home Economics. We discuss the ins and outs of the entertainment business and the recent strike.

Ted Prezelski talks to Ryan Mims, who does legislative work for AFGE, about his new book Easy Prey.

Ted Prezelski interviews Adiba Nelson, author of Ain't That a Mother as well as several children's books. Nelson was recently named Writer-in-Residence by the Tucson-Pima County Public Library.

John Gomez, Henry Barajas, Jesse Hernandez, Beth Sotelo participate in a panel hosted by Cynthia Naugle on Latinx comic book writers and artists. The panel was held at Tucson Comic-Con on September 3, 2023.

Ted Prezelski interviews Beatriz Topete from UNITE-HERE Local 11. The local represents concessions workers at Phoenix's Sky Harbor Airport. The union voted to authorize an "unfair labor practices" strike on Friday and the issues that they are having are, unfortunately, very familiar.

Poet, writer and desert-dweller Naomi Ortíz talks about htheir writing as well as their activism on the part of mestizes and people with disablities.

Members of the Labor Radio/Podcast Network have a conversation with Rafael Agustín, a striking member of the WGA who recently wrote a piece for Mother Jones called "I'm a Striking TV Writer. Here's Why We Are Doing This." (https://www.motherjones.com/media/2023/07/im-a-striking-tv-writer-heres-why-were-doing-this/) Agustín's credits include 32 episodes of the Golden Globe Nominated series Jane the Virgin.

Ted Prezelski speaks with Sally Shamrell, a SAG-AFTRA member that has had roles on The Young and the Restless and American Crime Story. Topics include how it is to be a working actress and the issues involved in the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike.